Final drive disconnect mechanism

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a disconnect mechanism for removably coupling an input member and an output member to one another. The mechanism includes a drive member configured to be rotationally driven and a driven member rotationally coupled to the drive member. A collar is rotatably coupled to the driven member, where rotation of the drive member induces rotational and longitudinal movement of the collar along the shaft. The mechanism further includes a coupler member coupled to the collar such that the coupler member is adapted to be removably coupled to the input member and output member. As the collar moves along the longitudinal shaft, the coupler member moves longitudinally between a first position in which the input member and output member are coupled and a second position in which the input member and output member are decoupled from one another.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to a transmission or final drive assembly,and in particular, to a disconnect mechanism for a transmission or finaldrive assembly.

BACKGROUND

Tracked vehicles can have a prime mover for producing power and atransmission assembly for receiving said power and transferring it to adriveline or final drive assembly. The final drive assembly providespower to a sprocket or drive hub that drives the tracks along a surface.Instead of tracks, a vehicle may include wheels that receive the powerfrom the final drive assembly and operably move the vehicle along thesurface. In any case, the transmission output is connected to an inputof the final drive assembly.

At some point during vehicle operation it may be desirable or necessaryto maintain or service the transmission. To do so, it is often necessaryto remove the transmission from the vehicle. Before the transmission canbe removed from the vehicle, however, the transmission output must bedisconnected from the final drive assembly. Alternatively, the finaldrive assembly can be completely removed, but this often is complex andrequires labor-intensive work.

In some military vehicles, for example, an access port or opening can beprovided for a technician to access the transmission output so that thetransmission output can be disconnected from the final drive assembly.In these instances, however, the accessibility to this port or openingis often easy to get to and does not require any special tooling. Inother instances, the design of the final drive assembly and sprocket forthe track is such that there is limited or no access to the disconnectshaft. A separate port or access opening may be required on the interiorof the vehicle or the final drive assembly may need to be disconnectedfrom the vehicle before the transmission can be serviced. This againrequires a substantial amount of time and effort and is less desirablein applications where a “quick disconnect” feature is necessary.

Thus, a need exists for providing a means for disconnecting atransmission output from a final drive assembly. Moreover, it is furtherdesirable to design a disconnect mechanism for removably coupling afirst component on one axis or centerline and a second component on adifferent axis or centerline.

SUMMARY

In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a disconnectmechanism is provided for removably coupling an input member and anoutput member to one another. The mechanism includes a drive memberconfigured to be rotationally driven and a driven member rotationallycoupled to the drive member. A collar is rotatably coupled to the drivenmember, where rotation of the drive member induces rotational andlongitudinal movement of the collar along the shaft. The mechanismfurther includes a coupler member coupled to the collar such that thecoupler member is adapted to be removably coupled to the input memberand output member. As the collar moves along the longitudinal shaft, thecoupler member moves longitudinally between a first position in whichthe input member and output member are coupled and a second position inwhich the input member and output member are decoupled from one another.

In one aspect of this embodiment, the driven member includes asubstantially disc-shaped body having a first flange and a secondflange, where the first and second flanges extending longitudinally fromthe disc-shaped structure. In another aspect, the collar comprises asubstantially cylindrical body having a bore defined therethrough forthreadedly engaging the shaft. The substantially cylindrical body has anouter thickness and a first recessed portion and a second recessedportion defined in the substantially cylindrical body, where the firstrecessed portion is radially offset from the second recessed portion.Moreover, the first flange engages the first recessed portion and thesecond flange engages the second recessed portion, whereby the drivenmember and collar rotate in a substantially concomitant relationship toone another.

In a different aspect, the coupler member comprises a substantiallycylindrical body having a bore defined therethrough and the couplermember comprises a shoulder disposed internally within the bore, where abearing is disposed between the shoulder and the collar. In a furtheraspect, the drive member is disposed along a first centerline and thedriven member, collar, and coupler member are disposed along a secondcenterline, where the first centerline and second centerline are offsetfrom one another.

In another embodiment, a vehicle has a drive track for moving along asurface. The vehicle includes a transmission assembly having an outputdrive member, a final drive assembly having an outer housing and anoutput shaft disposed therein, a drive member and a driven memberrotationally coupled to one another, and an input member coupled to theoutput shaft of the final drive assembly. The vehicle also includes adisconnect mechanism operably coupled to the driven member, where thedisconnect mechanism is movable between a first position and a secondposition such that in the first position, the disconnect mechanism isstructured to couple the output drive member and input member to oneanother, and in the second position, the disconnect mechanism isstructured to decouple the output drive member and input member from oneanother.

In one aspect, the disconnect mechanism and output drive member aredisposed along a first centerline, the output shaft is disposed along asecond centerline, and the drive member is disposed along a thirdcenterline. Here, the first centerline, second centerline, and thirdcenterline are offset from one another. In another aspect, a couplermember can be coupled to the input gear, where the coupler member movesbetween the first position and second position based on movement of thedrive member. In a related aspect, the vehicle can include alongitudinal shaft affixedly coupled to the outer housing and a collarrotationally coupled to the shaft, where the collar moves between thefirst position and second position concomitantly with the couplermember. Here, movement of the drive member induces rotational movementof the collar about the shaft and translational movement of the couplermember relative to the shaft.

In a different aspect, the driven member comprises a substantiallycircular disc having a pair of flanges extending along a longitudinalaxis therefrom, the pair of flanges being radially offset from oneanother, and the collar including a substantially cylindrical structurehaving a first outer portion and a second outer portion, the first outerportion being oppositely disposed from the second outer portion suchthat two slots are defined therebetween. Here, the collar and drivenmember are coupled to one another such that one of the pair of flangesis received in one of the two slots. In a further aspect, the collar anddriven member rotate substantially concomitantly with one another andthe collar moves along the longitudinal axis relative to the drivenmember. In addition, a securable access port can be defined in the outerhousing of the final drive assembly such that the securable access portis axially aligned with the drive member. In yet a further aspect, thedrive member can be a gear, a sprocket, a chain, or a pulley.

In a different embodiment, a disconnect mechanism includes an outputmember, an input member, and an intermediate member disposedtherebetween. The output member is configured to rotationally drive theinput member, and the intermediate member is removably coupled to theoutput member and rotationally coupled to the input member. Themechanism also includes a drive member configured to be rotationallydriven and a driven member rotationally coupled to the drive member. Thedriven member has an elongated shaft. A collar is rotatably coupled tothe driven member, where rotation of the drive member induces rotationaland longitudinal movement of the collar along the elongated shaft. Inaddition, a coupler member is coupled to the collar such that thecoupler member is adapted to be removably coupled to the intermediatemember and output member. As the collar moves along the elongated shaft,the coupler member moves between a first position and a second positionsuch that in the first position the intermediate member and outputmember are rotatably coupled to the coupler member, and in the secondposition the output member is decoupled from the coupler member.

In one aspect, the disconnect mechanism can be arranged such that thedrive member is disposed along a first centerline, the input member isdisposed along a second centerline, and the intermediate member, drivenmember, collar, and coupler member are disposed along a thirdcenterline. Here, the first centerline, second centerline, and thirdcenterline are parallel and offset from one another. In another aspect,the disconnect mechanism can include an outer housing in which at leastthe drive member, driven member, intermediate member, collar and couplermember are disposed. Moreover, an access port can be defined in theouter housing, where the access port is axially aligned with the drivemember such that the drive member is accessible through the access port.A securable fastener can be coupled to the outer housing at the accessport such that when the fastener is coupled to the access port, thefastener is adapted to limit or prevent rotational movement of the drivemember.

In a further aspect, the driven member comprises a substantiallydisc-shaped body having a first flange and a second flange, the firstand second flanges extending longitudinally from the disc-shapedstructure. The collar can include a substantially cylindrical bodyhaving a bore defined therethrough for threadedly engaging the shaft,the substantially cylindrical body defining a first recessed portion anda second recessed portion, where the first recessed portion is radiallyoffset from the second recessed portion. In this aspect, the firstflange engages the first recessed portion and the second flange engagesthe second recessed portion, whereby the driven member and collar rotatein a substantially concomitant relationship to one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects of the present invention and the manner ofobtaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself willbe better understood by reference to the following description of theembodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view from above of a tracked vehiclehaving a transmission assembly and final drive assembly;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the final drive assembly ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a disconnect mechanism for a transmissionand final drive assembly;

FIG. 4 is one embodiment of a driven member of the disconnect mechanismof FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is one embodiment of a collar of the disconnect mechanism of FIG.3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the disconnect mechanism in a firstposition; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the disconnect mechanism in a secondposition.

Corresponding reference numerals are used to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the present invention described below are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodimentsare chosen and described so that others skilled in the art mayappreciate and understand the principles and practices of the presentinvention.

In a general sense, the present disclosure relates to the control oftorque transfer from one member to another. In one condition, a firstmember and a second member can be coupled to one another such thattorque can be transferred therebetween, and in a second condition thefirst and second members can be decoupled from one another such thattorque cannot be transferred therebetween. In one aspect, a third membercan be coupled between the first and second members to facilitate thetransfer of torque. The third member can be controllably moved betweendifferent positions to allow or disallow torque transfer. While thisdisclosure provides different examples of this control in a vehicularapplication, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to thisapplication. One skilled in the art will appreciate varying aspects ofthe present disclosure outside of the vehicular application providedherein.

With reference to FIG. 1, a first illustrated embodiment includes aportion of a vehicle or machine 100. The vehicle or machine 100 can beany on-highway or off-highway vehicle or machine. The vehicle or machine100 can be used as an agricultural, construction, forestry, military orother type of vehicle or machine. In FIG. 1, the vehicle or machine 100can include a transmission assembly 102 that can receive power from apower-generating mechanism such as a prime mover, engine, motor, etc.The transmission assembly 102 can transfer power or torque to aground-engaging mechanism via a driveline, final drive assembly, orother means. The ground-engaging mechanism can include a wheel or track.

In FIG. 1, for example, the transmission assembly 102 includes an outputportion 118 that can be coupled to an input portion 120 of a final driveassembly 108. The output portion 118 can be mechanically coupled to theinput portion 120 via a gearing and shaft arrangement. For instance, thetransmission assembly 102 can include a first shaft (not shown) disposedin the output portion 118. The first shaft can include a gear orsprocket (not shown) that can transfer torque to a second shaft (notshown) disposed in the input portion 120 of the final drive assembly108.

The final drive assembly 108 can also include an output (not shown) thatdrives a first drive track 112 on a first side 104 of the vehicle ormachine 100. The output can be rotatably coupled to a track sprocket(not shown) that drives the first drive track 112. Similarly, thevehicle or machine 100 can include a second drive track 114 disposed ona second side 106 thereof for moving the vehicle or machine 100 along aground surface. In FIG. 1, the first drive track 112 can be powered bythe first final drive assembly 108 and the second drive track can bepowered by a second final drive assembly 110. In this manner, the firstdrive track 112 and second drive track 114 form the ground-engagingmechanism of the vehicle or machine 100. As previously described,however, other vehicles or machines may include one or more wheels asthe ground-engaging mechanism. Moreover, a different vehicle or machinemay include additional drive tracks or a combination of wheels and drivetracks as ground-engaging mechanisms.

As described above, many conventional vehicles or machines require thetransmission assembly to be disassembled or disconnected from the finaldrive assembly before the transmission assembly can be serviced. In someinstances, the entire transmission assembly needs to be removed from thevehicle or machine. To do so, the output of the transmission isdisconnected from the input of the final drive assembly. In mostconventional arrangements, there is sufficient room to access theconnection between the transmission assembly and final drive assembly tomechanically disconnect the two assemblies from one another. Forexample, a shaft that connects the output of the transmission assemblyto the input of the final drive assembly can be removed quickly andwithout much effort. However, in other instances including that of FIG.1, there is little to no room to access the connection between theoutput of the transmission assembly and the input of the final driveassembly.

In FIG. 1, for example, the first drive track 112 is driven by a tracksprocket (not shown). The track sprocket is driven by an output (notshown) of the final drive assembly 108. An area or region 116 betweenthe first drive track 112, and most notably its track sprocket, and thefinal drive assembly 108 can be extremely tight, thereby making itdifficult, if not nearly impossible, to access the connection betweenthe final drive assembly 108 and the transmission assembly 102. Due tothe location and positioning of the track sprocket relative to the finaldrive assembly 108, an alternative or new mechanism is necessary fordecoupling the output of the transmission assembly 102 from the input ofthe final drive assembly 108.

Referring to FIG. 2, a vehicle drive hub or housing 200 is shown. Thetrack sprocket (not shown) that drives the first drive track 112 can bemounted or coupled to the drive hub 200. Although not shown, the inputmember of the final drive assembly 108 can be disposed along a firstcenterline or axis 202. The output (not shown) of the final driveassembly 108 can also be disposed along this first centerline or axis202. Thus, the track sprocket may also be rotatably disposed about thisfirst centerline or axis 202.

The input (not shown) of the final drive assembly 108 can be a gear,sprocket, shaft or other mechanism that receives torque from thetransmission assembly 102. In this disclosure, the input of the finaldrive assembly will be referred to as an input member or an input of thefinal drive assembly.

In FIG. 2, the transmission assembly 102 can have an output disposedabout a second centerline or axis 206. The output member of thetransmission assembly 102 may include a shaft, gear, sprocket, or otherknown mechanism. In this disclosure, the output of the transmissionassembly 102 will be referred to as an output member or an output of thetransmission assembly. As shown, the first centerline or axis 202 andthe second centerline or axis 206 are disposed within an outer housing204. One of the issues addressed by the present disclosure is thedifficulty or inability to access the second centerline or axis 206 dueto the positioning or location of the first drive track 112, the tracksprocket of the first drive track 112, the outer housing 204 and thelocation of the second centerline or axis 206 relative thereto.

In FIG. 2, a third centerline or axis 208 is defined within the outerhousing 204. The third centerline or axis 208 can be parallel to thefirst and second centerlines. Moreover, the third centerline or axis 208can be disposed offset from the first centerline or axis 202 and thesecond centerline or axis 206. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the secondcenterline or axis 206 is disposed between the first centerline or axis202 and the third centerline or axis 208. As also shown, the thirdcenterline or axis 208 is disposed closest to an edge of the housing204. In effect, an access opening 210 is defined in the housing 204 toallow for access to this centerline or axis 208. In conventionalvehicles or machines, this third centerline or axis is unnecessary andnot provided for, as a service technician, for example, can remove ashaft or other mechanism at the transmission output centerline (i.e.,the second centerline or axis 206 of FIG. 2) to effectively remove thetorque connection between the transmission output and the final driveinput.

The access opening 210 can be covered by a fitting 212 such as afastener, cap, plug, plate, or other covering mechanism. When thevehicle or machine 100 is in operation, the fitting 212 can be securablycoupled to the housing 204 to prevent the output of the transmissionassembly 102 from being disconnected from the input of the final driveassembly 108. The fitting 212 can be an anti-theft type fitting, ananti-rotation fitting, or include some other means for providingsecurity to the access opening 210.

As shown in FIG. 2, the access opening 210 provides access to the thirdcenterline or axis 208. A drive member 214 can be rotatably disposedabout the third centerline or axis 208. The drive member 214 can includea gear, a sprocket, a wheel, a chain, a pulley or any other mechanism.For instance, the drive member 214 can be a worm gear that can berotated by a tool or other means via the access opening 210.Alternatively, the drive member 214 can be a sprocket that rotatablydrives a chain or belt. The drive member 214 can take the form of anyshape or material. In this disclosure, the drive member 214 isillustrated as being disc-shaped like a gear, sprocket or wheel. Inother embodiments, the drive member 214 can be similar to a clutch usedto controllably connect or disconnect the output member and input memberto one another. In any case, the drive member 214 is disposed along thethird centerline or axis 208 and is accessible via the access opening210 defined in the outer housing 204.

The drive member 214 can be coupled to a driven member 216. The drivenmember 216 can be disposed along the second centerline or axis 206,which is the same centerline or axis as the output member or output ofthe transmission assembly 102. The drive member 214 and driven member216 may be in contact with another similar to meshing gears. In anotheraspect, the drive member 214 and driven member 216 may be offset and notin contact with one another, such that a chain or belt transfersrotational energy from the drive member 214 to the driven member 216. Inany case, the drive member 214 rotatably drives the driven member 216 aspart of a disconnect mechanism.

In FIG. 2, another member 218 is shown disposed along the secondcenterline or axis 206. This is perhaps better shown in FIG. 3. Themember 218, referred to herein as an intermediate member 218, can takethe form of a gear having a plurality of gear teeth disposed about anouter radial surface. The intermediate member 218 can be rotatablycoupled to the input member or input of the final drive assembly 108. Inthis manner, the intermediate member 218 can receive torque from anoutput member 302 of the transmission assembly 102 and transfer saidtorque to the input member (not shown).

With reference to FIG. 3, a disconnect assembly or mechanism 300 isshown. The disconnect mechanism 300 can provide a means for coupling anddecoupling the output member 302 to the input member (not shown). Whenthe input member and output member 302 are coupled to one another, theoutput member 302 can transfer torque to the intermediate member 218which thereby transfers torque to the input member. When the inputmember and output member 302 are decoupled from one another, however,the output member 302 can be decoupled from the intermediate member 218such that the torque path from the transmission assembly 102 to thefinal drive assembly 108 is disconnected. In this instance, thetransmission assembly 102 is disconnected from the final drive assembly108 and it can be removed from the vehicle or machine 100 for service ormaintenance.

The disconnect mechanism 300 includes the drive member 214 and drivenmember 216 as shown in FIG. 3. The disconnect mechanism 300 can alsoinclude a coupler member 304 and a collar assembly 306. The couplermember 304 can be a substantially cylindrical body having a plurality ofthreads or splines 310 configured on the outer radial surface thereof.The coupler member 304 is configured to engage the output member 302 andthe intermediate member 218 when the output member 302 and input member(not shown) are coupled to one another. In particular, the outer splines310 of the coupler member 304 can mate with and engage correspondingsplines (not shown) defined on an interior surface of a pilot hub 312 ofthe output member 302. Similarly, the outer splines 310 can engageinternal threads or splines 606 of the intermediate member 218. In thisinstance, when the output member 302 and input member are coupled to oneanother, one end of the coupler member 304 is engaged to the outputmember 302 and an opposite end is engaged to the intermediate member218. Thus, as the output member 302 rotates and drives the input member,it in turn rotatably drives the coupler member 304 and intermediatemember 218 in a substantially concomitant relationship.

The collar assembly 306 can be disposed within an internal bore definedby the coupler member 304 in a manner such that the collar assembly 306and coupler member 304 move longitudinally (i.e., translationally orlaterally) together in a substantially concomitant relationship. Thecoupler member 304, however, does not rotate unless it is rotatablycoupled to the output member 302. On the other hand, the collar assembly306, and in particular a collar member 500 (FIG. 5), can rotate in asubstantially concomitant relationship with the driven member 216. Thus,as the driven member 216 rotates, it in turn rotatably drives the collarmember 500. In effect, the collar member 500 is rotatably coupled to thedriven member 216.

As the collar member 500 is rotated by the driven member 216, the collarmember 500 rotates about an elongated shaft 308 integrally coupled tothe housing 204. The elongated shaft 308 extends from the housing 204 ina longitudinal direction. The elongated shaft 308 can include aplurality of threads to which the collar member 500 is threadedlycoupled. The collar member 500 therefore can travel in the longitudinaldirection along the elongated shaft 308 as the drive member 214rotatably drives the driven member 216.

To further understand the coupling relationship between the drivenmember 216 and collar member 500, reference is made to FIGS. 4 and 5. Asshown in FIG. 4, the driven member 216 can include a substantiallydisc-shaped body 400. The substantially disc-shaped body 400 can includethreads, splines, teeth, channels, spokes, etc. for coupling to thedrive member 214. A first flange 402 and a second flange 404 can beintegrally coupled to and extend in the longitudinal direction from oneside 406 of the disc-shaped body 400. In this arrangement, the firstflange 402 can be radially spaced from the second flange 404. In anotheraspect, the first flange 402 can be transversely offset from the secondflange 404. In any case, a longitudinal opening 408 is defined betweenthe first flange 402 and second flange 404 to accommodate the collarmember 500.

Moreover, this longitudinal opening 408 is integrally coupled with aninternal bore 410 defined in the substantially disc-shaped body 400. Thedefined radius of the internal bore 410 and longitudinal opening 408 canbe different, but in any case, the radius is large enough to accommodatethe outer radius of the elongated shaft 308. In other words, theelongated shaft 308 can pass at least partially through the internalbore 410 and longitudinal opening 408 of the driven member 216.

In FIG. 5, the collar member 500 can be a substantially cylindrical body512 that defines an internal bore 502 therethrough. Although not shownin FIG. 5, the internal bore 502 can define a plurality of threads forengaging the elongated shaft 308 of the housing 204. Thus, the collarmember 500 can be rotatably driven about the elongated shaft 308 by thedriven member 216.

As shown in FIG. 5, the size of the internal bore 502 can be defined bya first radius of R1 from a center point C of the internal bore 502. Thesubstantially cylindrical body 512 can have an outer radial thicknessdefined by second radius R2. The radial thickness of the substantiallycylindrical body 512 therefore is defined by the difference in the firstradius R1 and second radius R2. In addition, the collar member 500 canalso include a first portion 504 and a second portion 506. Each of thefirst portion 504 and second portion 506 include a first outer portion514. The first outer portion 514 can have an outer radius defined by athird radius R3, whereby the radial thickness of the first outer portion514 is defined by the difference between the third radius R3 and thefirst radius R1. Here, the third radius R3 is greater than the firstradius R1 and second radius R2. As such, the first portion 504 andsecond portion 506 extend outwardly from the substantially cylindricalbody 512.

Moreover, the first portion 504 and second portion 506 can also includea second outer portion 516 and a third outer portion 518. The secondouter portion 518 has a defined radial thickness that can be greaterthan the radial thickness of the first outer portion 514. The thirdouter portion 518 can have a defined radial thickness that is greaterthan the radial thickness of the first outer portion 514 and the secondouter portion 516.

The first portion 504 and second portion 506 can be radially offset fromone another as well. As such, a first recessed portion 508 and a secondrecessed portion 510 can be defined between the first portion 504 andsecond portion 506. In effect, the first recessed portion 508 and secondrecessed portion 510 can define radial channels slots as shown in FIG.5. Each of the first recess portion 508 and second recessed portion 510are configured to receive one of the first flange 402 and second flange404 of the driven member 216. Thus, the collar member 500 can berotatably coupled to the driven member 216 when the first flange 402 andsecond flange 404 of the driven member 216 are received by the firstrecessed portion 508 and second recessed portion 510 of the collarmember 500.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the disconnect mechanism 300 is shownin a first position 600 and a second position 700. In FIG. 6, thecoupler member 304 is coupled to the intermediate member 218 so thattorque can be transferred from the output member 302 to the input member(not shown) via the coupler member 304 and intermediate member 218. InFIG. 7, the coupler member 304 is decoupled from the output member 302,thereby limiting or preventing torque from being transferred to theinput member (not shown). In the decoupled position of FIG. 7, thetransmission assembly 102 can be removed from the vehicle or machine 100for maintenance or service.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the collar assembly 306 includes thecollar member 500 disposed within an internal bore of the coupler member304. The collar assembly 306 can further include a first bearing 602 anda second bearing 608, where each may be a ball bearing, roller bearing,needle bearing, etc., that is disposed between an inner radial surfaceof the coupler member 304 and the third outer portion 518 of the collarmember 500. The second bearing 608 can be disposed adjacent to a firstretaining ring 604 and the first bearing 602 can be disposed adjacent toa second retaining ring 702 (FIG. 7). As such, the first bearing 602 andsecond bearing 608 have only limited, if any, longitudinal movementalong the surface of the second outer portion 516 and third outerportion 518 of the collar member 500. The first retaining ring 604 canbe disposed in an opening 520 defined between the first outer portion514 and second outer portion 516 of the collar member 500. The secondretaining ring 702 can be disposed in an opening defined in the couplermember 304.

In the coupled position 600 of FIG. 6, the coupler member 304 ispositioned towards the output member 302 in the longitudinal direction706. In the decoupled position 700 of FIG. 7, the coupler member 304 ispositioned away from the output member 302 in the longitudinal direction706. Due to the coupling or engagement of the collar assembly 306 to thecoupler member 304, the coupler member 304 can be moved in a concomitantrelationship with the collar assembly 306 in either direction (i.e., tothe left or right in FIGS. 6 and 7) along the longitudinal direction706. In doing so, the outer splines 310 of the coupler member 310 can bein a sliding engagement with corresponding internal splines 606 of theintermediate member 218 and internal splines 704 of the output member302. Therefore, while the collar member 500 is rotatably coupled to thedriven member 216 and is threadedly coupled to the elongated shaft 308,the coupler member 304 can move either to the left or right along thelongitudinal direction 706.

As the coupler member 304 moves about in the longitudinal direction, itcan become coupled or decoupled from the output member 302. Referring toFIG. 7, once the coupler member 304 crosses axis X-X, it can either bepartially coupled or decoupled. For instance, if the coupler member 304moves to the left in FIG. 7 beyond axis X-X, the coupler member 304 andoutput member 302 are coupled to one another. However, if the couplermember 304 moves to the right in FIG. 7 beyond axis X-X, the couplermember 304 is decoupled from the output member 302.

The elongated shaft 308 can be grounded or fixedly coupled to the outerhousing 204. In this aspect, the elongated shaft 308 does not rotate.Instead, the collar member 500 rotates relative to the elongated shaft308 as the driven member 216 is rotatably driven by the drive member214. Thus, as the driven member 216 rotates about the elongated shaft308, the engagement of the first flange 402 and second flange 404 withthe collar member 500 induces rotational movement of the collar assembly306 relative to the elongated shaft 308. With the collar member 500being threadedly coupled to the elongated shaft 308, the collar assembly306 moves along the longitudinal direction 706 based on the direction bywhich the drive member 214 is rotated.

In the above-described aspects, the rotation of the drive member 214does not induce any rotational movement of the intermediate member 218,and therefore the input member or input to the final drive assembly 108does not receive torque when the drive member 214 is rotationallydriven. In another aspect, the drive member 214 cannot be rotationallydriven when the output member 302 is rotationally driven. In analternative aspect, it may be possible to drive the drive member 214even if the output member 302 is moving.

The drive member 214 can be controlled by a motor, for example, themotor can be an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or any type of motor.Alternatively, a tool or mechanism such as a socket wrench or the likemay be able to couple to the fitting 212 and rotatably drive the drivemember 214. There may be other automatic, semi-automatic, ornon-automatic mechanisms for driving the drive member 214. Some of thesemechanisms can be electrically-powered, mechanically-powered,hydraulically-powered, pneumatically-powered, or a combination thereof.

While exemplary embodiments incorporating the principles of the presentinvention have been disclosed hereinabove, the present invention is notlimited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, this application isintended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the inventionusing its general principles. Further, this application is intended tocover such departures from the present disclosure as come within knownor customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains andwhich fall within the limits of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle having a drive track for moving along asurface, comprising: a transmission assembly having an output drivemember; a final drive assembly having an outer housing; a drive memberand a driven member continuously rotationally coupled to one anotherwithin the outer housing; an input member coupled to the final driveassembly; a disconnect mechanism operably coupled to the driven member,where the disconnect mechanism is movable between a first position and asecond position; and wherein: in the first position, the disconnectmechanism is structured to couple the output drive member and inputmember to one another, and in the second position, the disconnectmechanism is structured to decouple the output drive member and inputmember from one another.
 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein: thedisconnect mechanism and output drive member are disposed along a firstcenterline; the drive member is disposed along a second centerline;where, the first centerline and second centerline are offset from oneanother.
 3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the disconnect mechanismcomprises: a longitudinal shaft affixedly coupled to the outer housing;and a collar rotationally coupled to the shaft, where the collar movesbetween the first position and second position concomitantly with thecoupler member.
 4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein movement of the drivemember induces rotational movement of the collar about the shaft andtranslational movement of the coupler member relative to the shaft. 5.The vehicle of claim 3, wherein: the driven member comprises asubstantially circular disc having a pair of flanges extending along alongitudinal axis therefrom, the pair of lugs being radially offset fromone another; and the collar comprising a substantially cylindricalstructure having a first outer portion and a second outer portion, thefirst outer portion being oppositely disposed from the second outerportion such that two slots are defined therebetween; further wherein,the collar and driven member are coupled to one another such that one ofthe pair of flanges is received in one of the two slots.
 6. The vehicleof claim 5, wherein the collar and driven member rotate substantiallyconcomitantly with one another and the collar moves along thelongitudinal axis relative to the driven member.
 7. The vehicle of claim1, further comprising a securable access port defined in the outerhousing of the final drive assembly, the securable access port beingaxially aligned with the drive member.
 8. The vehicle of claim 1,wherein the drive member comprises a gear, a sprocket, a chain, or apulley.
 9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the disconnect mechanismcomprises: a coupler member coupled to an input gear, where the couplermember moves between a first position and a second position based onmovement of the drive member.